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RCVS news: Former RCVS President Stuart Reid honoured with CBE

The RCVS is delighted to see that its Council Member and former President, Professor Stuart Reid, has been appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for his contributions to the veterinary profession and higher education.

Currently Principal of the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, and previously Dean of the University of Glasgow’s School Of Veterinary Medicine, Stuart has been a member of RCVS Council since 2005, and served as RCVS President in 2014-15. In that time, he has worked tirelessly to help the College in its remit to set and advance standards within the UK veterinary professions, and to raise its profile on the global stage.

As chair of the Education Policy and Specialisation Committee in 2011, he oversaw the College’s review of veterinary specialisation, which also led to the new Advanced Practitioner status. He has been a driving force behind the joint RCVS and BVA (British Veterinary Association) Vet Futures project since its inception in 2015 and, as Chair of the RCVS Governance Panel, he recently saw through wholesale reform to the College’s governance arrangements to improve the efficiency and accountability of its decision-making processes.

Stuart has also chaired the RCVS Science Advisory Panel and, in a subject very close to his heart, he continues to chair the College’s Mind Matters Initiative, which aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of all those in the veterinary team, be they students, veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons or practice managers.

A particularly notable and popular achievement during his Presidential year was bringing the UK veterinary profession into line with international practice, by allowing UK veterinary surgeons to use the courtesy title ‘Doctor’ if they so wished. This decision followed a public consultation to which over 11,000 people responded, and which aimed to provide greater clarity for the profession, and reassurance to clients and the animal-owning public.

Lizzie Lockett, RCVS Chief Executive remarked: “We have been incredibly fortunate to have someone of Stuart’s calibre, character and international renown on our Council for so many years. His contributions and commitment to the RCVS, as well as to the wider veterinary professions, are as significant as they are often understated.

“On behalf of RCVS Council and all the staff, I should like to say how delighted we are that he has been honoured in this way. Such recognition is very much deserved and we send him our warmest congratulations.”